Hazel Blears

Non-executive director of the Co-operative Group and Land and Lakes

I worked as a lawyer in private practice and local government for 20 years. I was also a councillor on Salford City Council for eight years and was elected to Parliament in 1997.

Whilst an MP, I held ministerial roles in Government in Health, Police and Counter Terrorism and was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. I led the change to community policing and was responsible for housing, planning and community regeneration. Later I was a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee. I recently contributed to the report on the role of Women within the UK Intelligence Community.

Now I am a non-executive director of the Co-operative Group and also of Land and Lakes. I am Chair of the Social Investment Business, Chair of Salford University Institute for Dementia and a trustee of the Alzheimer’s Society.

I’m helping to establish effective relationships between the individuals and organisations that are essential to make the Well Whitehaven project a success and ensuring local people are at the heart of everything that happens.

I’m passionate about empowering people to take leading roles in their communities and in making commercial organisations be more socially responsible. For communities to develop and prosper, it’s essential that they are fully involved in driving change.